Category: Galleries
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10 vintage electronics collectors are willing to pay for
Only a small number survive, and working ones have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. A few classic models that shaped hip-hop and pop music now sell for thousands of dollars. These big, old-school tape machines are making a comeback with audio collectors. Well-kept vintage tube amps from respected brands can be worth thousands. Silver-faced receivers from the 70s with glowing dials are hot items with audio fans. DJs and vinyl lovers still pay good money for these tough, legendary record players. Big, chrome-covered boomboxes from the 80s can sell for hundreds or even thousands. The very first portable cassette player is a must-have for music and tech collectors. An unopened original iPod reportedly sold for tens of thousands of dollars. The first Mac from the mid-1980s is a prized piece of tech history, especially in its original box. -
15 TV shows that raised an entire generation
Generations of kids learned their letters and numbers from a big yellow bird and a monster who loved cookies. 
Its warm narration made growing up feel nostalgic even while you were still doing it. 
Malcolm talking straight to the camera made viewers feel like part of his chaotic family. 
Hanging out on the couch at Central Perk made everyone want a friend group just like theirs. 
A little Jack Russell terrier introduced kids to classic literature by starring in the stories himself. 
Viewers spent years trying to get a full look at Wilson’s face over the fence. 
A sarcastic talking cat named Salem made this show an instant favorite. 
Steve Urkel and his famous catchphrase became one of TV’s most beloved nerds. 
It made high school look like the most fun place on Earth, giant cell phone included. 
Almost everyone who grew up with it can still rap the whole theme song. 
Mr. Feeny’s lessons stuck with viewers long after they left school. 
A house full of family, friends and life lessons made it the ultimate comfort TV. 
Science class was never as fun as it was with Bill Nye’s wild experiments. 
LeVar Burton turned a whole generation of kids into book lovers. 
Fred Rogers made millions of kids feel seen, heard and loved just as they were. -
Things that were completely normal in the 2000s but would shock kids today
Somehow the family computer always ended up with five search toolbars nobody installed on purpose. 
Tiny, budget laptops were everywhere for a few years, and then they vanished almost overnight. 
A separate navigation gadget with a suction cup was the high-tech way to find your way. 
Listening to every message one by one, in order, was just part of owning a phone. 
Nobody really knew what a poke meant, but everyone did it anyway. 
Borrowing a charger was nearly impossible, because no two phones used the same plug. 
Everyone in the house took turns, and anyone walking by could see your screen. 
Spelling every word with numbers and missing vowels was considered a skill. 
Plenty of adults are still living down the silly email address they made at 13. -
Fashion trends that need to stay in the past
Jeans worn so low they needed a constant hand to hold them up were a whole look. 
Shoes so pointy they extended inches past the foot were somehow considered stylish. 
See-through mesh shirts layered over tank tops were a club staple. 
Pop stars made these old-fashioned caps a red-carpet favorite for a while. 
A short string of white shells was the go-to accessory for a laid-back beach look. 
Striped fabric sleeves with no actual sweater attached were a strange but popular choice. 
A belt covered in metal studs was the must-have accessory for the edgy crowd. 
They kept absolutely nobody warm, but everyone wore them anyway. 
Nobody could quite decide whether they were pants, a skirt, or something in between. 
Every back pocket sparkled, and sitting down was never comfortable. -
15 movies everyone watched at least once in the 2000s
A whole generation waited for their own letter from Hogwarts after watching this one. 
Its giant blue characters and 3D visuals made it one of the biggest box office hits of all time. 
The vampire romance divided fans into Team Edward and Team Jacob. 
Every school hallway suddenly had at least one person breaking into song. 
This love story left a whole lot of teenagers crying into their popcorn. 
A family with 12 kids made every chaotic household feel a little calmer. 
It turned the monster in your closet into a lovable, furry hero. 
A squirrel chasing a single acorn somehow stole the whole movie. 
Two regular kids becoming secret agents was every child’s dream come true. 
Kids everywhere suddenly knew a lot about digging holes and onion juice. 
It made everyone want to dance in the middle of a party when “Thriller” came on. 
Watching a mom and daughter swap bodies made everyone wonder what that would be like at home. 
Every kid secretly hoped they’d find out they were royalty too. 
The upside-down kiss in the rain became one of the most famous movie moments of the decade. 
Captain Jack Sparrow turned a theme park ride into one of the biggest movie franchises ever. -
10 old Pokémon cards that became extremely valuable
Only a handful were given out as contest prizes in Japan, and it’s widely considered the most valuable Pokémon card ever sold. 
These rare cards with a tiny gold star next to the name can sell for thousands in top condition. 
Only a tiny number of these misprinted cards are believed to exist, and collectors love the mystery behind them. 
The legendary bird from the Neo Genesis set is famously hard to find in perfect condition. 
Its see-through-looking holographic design made it one of the most sought-after cards of its era. 
This shiny black Charizard from the early 2000s is a favorite among serious collectors. 
These were awarded only to top players in early tournaments, which makes them incredibly rare. 
This rare early test print reportedly sold for around $360,000. 
Early printings missing a small shadow next to the artwork are worth far more than later versions. 
A perfectly graded copy of this fiery classic has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. -
15 websites everyone used before Facebook took over
Picking the perfect profile song was serious business. 
People asked the internet anything, and the answers were often hilariously wrong. 
It was the go-to site for sneaking in free games on the school computer. 
Pixelated characters hung out in virtual hotel rooms and decorated their own spaces. 
Kids waddled around a snowy virtual world as cartoon penguins. 
It built a huge following in Latin America and Asia before most people had heard of Facebook. 
This social network was briefly a favorite with teens in the UK and Ireland. 
It changed how people got music, until lawsuits shut the original service down. 
Long personal posts and dramatic mood updates made it an early home for bloggers. 
It was the online diary where teens poured out their feelings, usually in very colorful fonts. 
Logging on meant hearing a friendly voice tell you that you had mail. 
You typed your question to a cartoon butler and hoped he understood. 
Millions of kids logged on every day to feed and care for their virtual pets. 
Anyone could build a homepage, complete with flashing text and a visitor counter. 
It was one of the first big social networks, and it stayed hugely popular across Southeast Asia. -
15 fashion trends we can’t believe we actually wore
Flipping your polo collar up, sometimes on two shirts at once, was a whole statement. 
A thin chain worn around the waist was the finishing touch on a crop top. 
The hair went straight up and over the top of the visor, and that was the point. 
Headbands and wristbands came out of the gym and onto the street. 
Proudly wearing a zippered pouch around your waist was peak style. 
Even T-shirts came with built-in shoulder pads at one point. 
Pop stars made them famous, and everyone else wobbled around in them. 
A single scarf tied around the body counted as a whole shirt. 
Those stretchy black chokers were in every kid’s jewelry box. 
They were colorful and cute, and they gave everyone blisters. 
Pants that turned into shorts felt like the most practical invention ever. 
Wearing a dress over a pair of jeans was somehow a red-carpet-worthy look. 
A jean jacket with matching jeans was considered a complete, coordinated outfit. 
Leaving one strap hanging was the effortlessly cool look of the decade. 
Some pant legs were so wide they could have doubled as tents. -
“You had one job” fails that are too funny not to share
Someone painted “SOTP” in giant letters across the road, and nobody stopped them. 
The toy on the box looked amazing, and the one inside looked like its distant cousin. 
The final piece was nowhere in the box, and the picture on the lid knew it. 
The street went 10, 12, 14, then 3 for no clear reason. 
The dish sounded delicious in one language and very alarming in the other. 
The pattern was going great until the installer reached the middle of the floor. 
The door had a lock, but a huge gap made the lock pretty pointless. 
Someone built a perfectly good set of stairs that ends at a blank wall. 
Someone typed “write nothing” on the order form, and that’s exactly what went on the cake. 
Everyone driving past had to tilt their head just to read it. -
Movie stars who got their big break unexpectedly
He was working as a carpenter when he ended up reading lines for Star Wars auditions. 
A chance meeting at a hotel bar led to his breakout role in Dazed and Confused. 
A talent scout approached him at a bar in Iowa and encouraged him to enter a modeling contest. 
An agent spotted her performing in her school Christmas play when she was eight. 
She didn’t win her TV singing competition, but she went on to win an Oscar in her first film. 
He was working as a prop man at a film studio when a director noticed him. 
She was working in a wartime factory when an army photographer snapped her picture. 
A photographer spotted her on a beach in Colombia. 
He moved to Los Angeles to be a musician, and a friend suggested he try acting instead. 
A talent agent approached her in a pizza parlor when she was about ten. 
A model scout spotted him, and a dance gig in a music video helped kick off his career. 
A talent scout noticed her on the street during a family trip to New York. 
A talent agent spotted her while she was arguing with a bank teller about cashing a check.